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第四节
主谓一致(Subject-Verb Agreement)

英语中的一致主要包括主语和谓语在人称和数上的一致、在时态上的一致、在名词和代词上的一致。在这里,我们主要谈主语和谓语在人称和数上的一致,这个是最复杂的语言表达现象。

主语与谓语一致,是指句子中的谓语动词要随主语的人称和数的变化而变化,也就是主语和谓语动词在人称和数上必须保持一致。这种保持一致有三个原则:

语法一致原则(grammatical concord),即形式上的一致;

意义一致原则(notional concord),即意义上的一致;

就近一致原则(principle of proximity),即谓语动词的形式与邻近的名词一致。

一、语法一致原则

(一)不定代词作主语(Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects)

one、each、every、neither、either等不定代词或限定词,及它们与one、body或thing构成的不定代词作主语或修饰主语时,谓语动词要用单数。

-onewords  -bodywords  -thingwords others

one     nobody    nothing   each

anyone    anybody   anything   either

everyone   everybody  everything  neither

someone   somebody   something

——Each of them has done his work.

他们每个人都做了自己的工作。

——There are two types of qualification—either is acceptable.

有两种类型的限定条件,其中一种是可接受的。

——Neither answer is correct.

两个答案都不对。

——Everybody takes pleasure in eating.

每个人都享受着美食。

——Every room has a window facing the ocean.

每个房间都有一扇面向大海的窗户。

代词any和none的谓语动词既可用单数形式又可用复数形式。

——Any of these schedules is/are satisfactory.

这些计划中的任何一个都是令人满意的。

——We have accounted for all our aircraft and none is/are missing.

我们已清点了我们所有的飞机,没有一架失踪。

——None of us is/are entirely blameless in this matter.

在这件事上,我们没有一个人是完全没有责任的。

在这样的表达式 every...and every...;each...and each...;no...and no...中,整个短语在句中做主语时,谓语动词常使用单数。

例:

——Each boy and each girl wants to go to the cinema.

每个男女都想去看电影

——Each man and each woman is asked to attend the meeting.

每个人都要参会。

——Every boy and every girl in the class is diligent.

班级中的每个男孩女孩都很用功。

——No sound and no voice is heard.

听不到任何声音。

(二)复合主语(Compound Subjects)

1.大多数情况下,当两个或两个以上的名词或代词用and连接时,具有复数意义,要求动词用复数形式。

例:

——Cooperation and communication are the key to better human relations.

合作与交流是建立良好人际关系的关键。

——Success and fame are often the litmus tests of one's character.

成功和名誉往往是考验一个人品格的试金石。

—— Health and education are the kind of bread-and-butter issues that people vote on.

医药卫生和教育之类有关民生的基本问题是人们投票时所关注的。

—— Science and technology are No.1 productive forces.

科学技术是第一生产力。

2.“a number of +复数名词”做主语,意为“许多,大量的……”,谓语动词用复数形式;“the number of +复数名词”表示“……的数量”做主语时,其谓语动词用单数形式。

例:

——The number of the students is about 200.

学生的数量大约是200人。

——A number of students are studying in the classroom.

许多学生在教室学习。

3.“half of,a lot of,a large number of,most of,plenty of等+名词或者分数/百分数+ of +名词”做主语时,谓语动词的单复数取决于名词的单复数,如果是不可数名词,谓语动词用单数;如果是可数名词,谓语动词用复数形式。

例:

——A lot of students are playing there.

有很多学生在那玩。

——There is plenty of water on the ground.

地上有很多水。

4.不定式、动名词或从句做主语时,谓语动词用单数形式。

例:

——Reading in bad is bad for your eyes.

躺在床上读书对眼睛不好。

5.在定语从句中,关系代词that、who、which等做主语时,其谓语动词的数应与先行词的数一致。

例:

——This is the girl who wants to visit you.

这就是那个想见你的女孩。

二、意义一致原则

(一)由and连接的两个单数名词做主语指代同一个人或物,或是由选择连接词or连接表示二者任选其一时,谓语动词用单数。

例:

——The father and doctor was present.(指同一个人)

——The father and the doctor were present.(分指两个人)

——A poet and philosopher is a rare person in today's society.(泛指既是诗人又是哲学家的人)

(二)用and连接的两个名词做定语修饰一个做主语的单数名词时,如果指两个人或物时,谓语动词词用复数形式;如指同一个人或物,则谓语动词用单数形式。

例:

——The food and the textile industry depend mainly on agriculture for raw material.

食品工业和纺织工业主要依赖农业提供原料。

——The steel and iron industry plays an important role in the national economy.

钢铁工业在国民经济中起很重要的作用。

(三)在某些情况下,复合主语具有单数意义,要求谓语动词用单数形式。

例:

——Law and order is a desirable feature for all modern societies.

法律与秩序是所有现代社会应具有的理想特征。

——Rock 'n' Roll has entered a period of stasis.

摇滚乐已经进入了一个停滞期。

——Bread and butter is my favourite food.(此处指黄油面包)

黄油面包是我的最爱。

(四)表示时间、金钱、距离、体积、重量、面积、数字等的词语做主语时,其意义若是指总量应看作单数,谓语动词也随之用单数;但如果其意义是指“有多少数量”则应该看作复数,那么谓语动词也随之用复数。

例:

——Four weeks are often approximately regarded as one month.

人们常常将四个星期近似地看成一个月。

——Eighty yuan are enough for a student to spend on food for one week.

对于一个学生来说,一个星期80元钱的伙食费足够了。

(五)插入词

修饰词或短语作为插入语放在主语和谓语之间并不能改变主语和谓语的一致关系。为了使主谓关系明确无误,常用逗号把插入语与主要部分隔开。谓语要与最前面的主语一致。

能在主语后做插入成分的词有:along with,as well as,like,no less than,except,but,in addition to,together with 等。请比较下面的句子:

——Bob, along with his parents, is prepared to go shopping.

——Bob, in addition to his parents, is prepared to go shopping.

——Bob, as well as his parents, usually goes to the mall on weekends.

(六)集合名词

集合名词是表示一类人或事物的总称。当集体名词做主语时,谓语动词的单复数取决于主语的意义:主语表示整体时视为单数,谓语动词用单数;主语表示集体中的个体成员时视为复数,谓语动词用复数。这类集体名词常见的有:army,audience,cattle,class,club,committee,crowd,family,government,group,majority,minority,party,people,police,public,staff,team等,其中cattle、people、police一般看成复数形式。

例:

——Her family is very upper class.(家)

——All my family enjoy skiing.(家庭成员)

——The whole class was told to stay behind after school.(班级)

——The whole class were told to stay behind after school.(学生)

——A whole series of studies about the problem of global warming has been made since last year.(一整套)

——A series of studies all have failed to prove her new theory.(一系列)

(七)复数形式表单数意义

这类名词大多表示学科概念。如以-ics结尾的表示学科的名词有:statistics(统计学),economics(经济学),electronics(电子学),ethics(伦理学),informatics(信息学),mathematics(数学),optics(光学),phonetics(语音学)physics(物理学),politics(政治学),semantics(语义学),statics(静力学);以-s结尾的名词有:measles(麻疹),mumps(流行性腮腺炎),virus(病毒),news(新闻)等。

——Economics is an inexact science.

——Politics doesn't interest me.

——The virus seems to have attacked his throat.

——News travels fast these days.

(八)有些书名、杂志名、报纸名、国名、机构名的中心词虽然是复数形式,但应作为整体看待,谓语动词用单数形式。也就是说,由普通名词构成的专有名词后接谓语动词必须用单数形式。

——The United States has refused him a visa.

——Sense and Sensibility is a fine novel.

——The New York Times has this very laudatory article about your retirement.

(九)当用 percentage,proportion,half,part,the rest等词做主语时,谓语动词的数取决于其后的名词或所代表的名词的数。

——A high percentage of the female staff are full time teachers.

——A large proportion of old people live with their family members.

——Half of the money was gone, I was shocked.

——The rest of the players are great and I couldn't be happier.

(十)一些由两个部分构成的名词表示衣物或工具做主语时,谓语动词通常用复数形式,例如:glasses,clothes,trousers,shoes,compasses,chopsticks,scissors等。但如果主语用“a kind of,a pair of,a series of 等 + 名词”构成时,谓语动词一般用单数形式。

——This pair of shoes is worn out.

——The shoes are worn out.

三、就近一致原则

(一)由and连接的名词前有each、every、no或many a等修饰词时,谓语动词要用单数形式。

例:

——Each state and each territory has three votes(the chairman and two committeemen).

每个州和每个地区有三张选票(主席和两名委员会成员)

——Many a mother tries to act out her unrealized dreams through her daughter.

许多母亲都试图通过女儿实现她们未能实现的梦想。

(二)两个或两个以上的主语,由or、nor、but、either...or、neither...nor 或not only...but also 等连词连接时,谓语动词与其最接近的主语保持数的一致。

——Neither Bob nor his friends were clear about what happened.

——Neither his friends nor Bob was clear about what happened.

鲍勃和朋友们都不清楚发生了什么。

——Not only Bob but also his friends like to read.

——Not only his friends but also Bob himself likes to read.

鲍伯和朋友们都喜欢阅读。

(三)在“There+be”结构中,若有两个或两个以上的名词做主语时,谓语动词应与其最靠近的主语保持一致。

例:

——There are three winning tickets and a pen on the table.

桌子上有三张中奖彩票和一支笔。

——There is a pen and three winning tickets on the table.

桌子上有一支笔和三张中奖彩票。

Exercise

Put the correct verb forms in the following sentences.

1.War and peace ________ (be) a constant theme in history.

2.The family ________ (be) the tiniest cell of the society.

3.Young ________ (be) the most active and vital force in society.

4.Looking back on a century of relentless change, China's youth ________ (have, has)never wavered in their determination to love the Party, the country and the people.

5.Young Chinese _______ have, has)always played a vanguard role in the quest for national rejuvenation.

6.No one except her own supporters ________ (agree) ________ with her.

7.The public ________ (have, has) every reason to be cautious of professional deception.

8.April showers ________ (bring)May flowers.

9.A poet and philosopher ________ (be) a rare person in today's society.

10.Law and order ________ (be) a desirable feature for all modern societies. Gh117KcnJ9KUPw6OWjqBfnHhvQuZXgqrn4jWhy3RhGauheqd79mMwhQZZkUaMpFC

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